Tuesday, March 22, 2011

So, some time has gone by, a semester is winding down, things appear to be getting back to normal? We'll see. So as to keep this from becoming a diary entry, I will try to stick to the hard facts.

I am almost definitely not going back to China this summer. Firstly, there is no money to do this. Second, I realized I was putting a lot of pressure on myself to do this, which is silly and was making me incredibly anxious. So I'm going to look for opportunities in Toronto for the summer, including internships and volunteer spots, and use the Crocs store as a financial back up. After this semester, I only have one more to go. I could do it in the summer, but I am way more likely to find full-time employment or an internship now than in September. I also realized that I have been living like a nomad for almost a year and would be REALLY happy to just stay in one spot that feels like mine for a little while. Then I will graduate in December, and figure out what to do after that. I am really ready to be done school at this point, regardless of what happens afterwards.

With the school, things are weird. I haven't really had a follow up meeting since I dropped the co-op, which I think was supposed to happen. We have had large forum type meetings, including one that the Dean attended. This defies all logic, but the Dean is the first U of T admin type to say that they did not handle the situation right, that things were done wrong, and that measures are being taken to correct them. It blew my mind. In a good way. Yesterday we met with him to discuss the matter further, particularly the issue of compensation for the crazy amount of co-op fees we paid for almost no job experience. He says he is going to do his best to compensate us financially, whether it be through tuition credits or bursaries. We are completely satisfied with this...U of T is rather stingy with their finances...so this is a big deal.

I'm still coping with a lot of emotional baggage from the whole thing, but it's getting better. In April I am planning on heading to the US to visit my Tibetan boss man and a couple of my friends from Xining, which I am really looking forward to. And my classmates will start to come home in the next few weeks! I can't even express how excited I am to see them, honestly.

Okay, just a quick update for everyone, and probably the end of this blog with this title. It was fun while it lasted! Thanks for reading and caring!